Method and machine foe



C. KIRIND.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FEELING TOMATOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. I9I8.

Pamd Aug; 5,1919.

SHEETS-SHEET I INVENTOR Arron/vm C. KIRINO.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PEELTNG TOMATOES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. s. isla.

1,312,332. Patented Aug. 5,1919.

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTRNEYS C. KIRINO.

METHOD ANDiMACHINE FOR FEELING TOMATUES. 'APPLICATION man N ovLa. 191s.

1,312,332. Patented Aug. 5,1919.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

nl) l WIA' C. KTRINO.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FEELING TOMATOES.

APPLICATloN FILED Nov. s. |918.

7' SHEETS- SHEET 4.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

C. KIRINO.

METHOD AND MACHINE FORPEELING TOMATOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. |918. 1,312,332.

Patented Aug. 5, 1-919.

v /Nvfflron CHARLES K IE7/NO Br 5- 6 A c. KmrNo. NkETHOD AND MACHINE FOR FEELING TOMATOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. |9I8.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6 WIT/158858 /WENTo/r CHARLES KIR/N0 C. KIRINO.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FEELING TOMATOES.

'Patented Aug. 5,1919.

SHEETS-SHEET 7- 'APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. i918.

' ,m0/mers UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES KIRINO, 0F OGDEN, UTAH.

y METHOD AND .MAQHINE FOR FEELING- TOIMATOES.

Specication of Letters ilatent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

"Apput'ion led November s, 191s. serial No. 2e1,e05.

To all whom z'z may concern:

Be it known that' I, CHARLES KIRINo, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, and a resident of Ogden,in the county of Weber and State of Utah, have invented a new and Improved Method and Machine for Peeling Tomatoes, of which the following is a description.

v My invention relates to a method of peeling tomatoes or other vegetables or fruits of to be readily loosened by scalding, the

.method being characterized by the step of dividing the skin of each tomato into sections while on the fruit and by the Subse? quent steps of scalding the tomato and the removal of the skinY sections.

The invention relates also to means for Fig. 9 is aV detail inv cross section on the line 9 9, Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section of.

- the topping device;

carrying out in the .preferred manner the 3 indicated steps of the process and for conveying the tomatoes to the points where the steps ofthe process are to be` performed as well as for performing other operations including the preliminar washing of the tomatoes, the cooling o the same after the step of scalding, the topping of the tomatoes, and the coring of the same, togetherwith other detail operations as will appear from the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to rthe accompanyy ing drawings forming a part of this specifil cation, 1t being'understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical .section ofa machine constructed in accordance withmy invention, the section being taken on the.

line 1 1, Fig. 2;

v Fig. 2 is a'plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an-enlarge'd transversel section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary side elevation showing the means for slitting-the skin on lines longitudinal with the core;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5.3.15: Fig" 4;

Fig. 6' is a perspective' viewon a still larger scale 'of one ofthe devices shown in Figs. 4 and-5 vfor slitting the vskin longitu- Fig. r11 1s an -end view of the device for cutting off the bottom of the tomato in removing the bottom end of the core and hereafter referred to as the" coring device, the table in said view being shown in transverse .vertical section; s1m1lar form and having a, skin of a nature- Fig. 12 is a plan viewv of the skin removing device or peeler proper;

Fig. 13 is a cross section 'on the line 13 13, Fig.V 12;

vrollers 21, 22 on horizontal shafts 23, 24:, the

latter being indicated as a drive shaft to be actuated in any suitable manner, there belng indicated. a pulley 25 for receiving a beltA Afrom any convenient source of power (not shown). 4The shafts turn in framework des- Fig. 14 is a cross' section of the tubular ignated generally by the numeral 26 on a.

base 27. The belt 20 carries in close relation .v 9o

a multiplicity of holders 28 for receiving the individual tomatoes which are in practice manually impaled thereon. The upper working run of the belt carries the frult holders 28 through a longitudinal slot 29 inV the table 30 of the machine.. The holders -vertical dinally, showing said device'ready to start the slitting operation;

Fig. 7 is a view similari() Eig. e' but She e ing `the device after slittingthe tomato and before returning to the initial position;

Fig. 8 is a detail incrosssection on th line 8 8, Fig. 7;

project above the table throughthe slot 29, In the illustrated example, the front of the table. is shown at the left of Figs. 1 and 2 and the tomatoes 'A are 'impaled by the at ltendant on the holders adjacent to the said front end, with the calix or front of the tomato uppermost. In the preferred mode carries the impaled tomatoes successively through or past the following devices, wit: A washer B Within a hood B a sbtting device C for slitting the tomatoes on longitudinal lines, that is to say, on 'lines running lengthwise with the core of the tomato; past a, scoring or cutting devl D which cuts or scores the skin'on an annular line marking the bottom portion' 150 be subse- -of practising' my invention, the belt 20 quently trimmed off by the coring device; l past a topping device E for cutting off theskin at the top and a minimum amount of the fruit; past the scaldin device F and cooling device G, both /wit in a hood I-I; through a peeling mechanism I; and deposited on the table after`detaching' themselves from the holders 28, the fruit being then carried along the surface of the table to and past a corer J. On the shanks of the fruit holders 28 at opposite sides, are rollers 31 adapted to travel on trackv rails 32 beneath the table at opposite sides of the slot 29.' The washer B,.as indicatedin Figs. 1 and .3, is shown as comprising spray pipes 33 .connected inpractice with any sultable water supply-not shown, the pipes being disposed slightly above and at opposite sides of the,J path of travel of the tomatoes A and formed with spray jets 34. Below the washer an inclined pan or chute 35 receives and conducts oi the Water falling from the washed' tomatoes.

The slitting device C as best shown in 25- Figs. 4 to 9 comprises an elongated head 36 sustained' on ,vertical shafts 37, 38, said shafts carrying horizontal sprocket wheels 39, one of the shafts beingndriven in a man- 4ner hereinafter described. Traveling about the sprocketwheels.39 is an endless belt. 40, the opposite runs of which travel over opposite faces of the head 36. The chain belt 40 carries'a series of slitting devices 41'com'prisi1gsleeves 42 secured to the belt 40 in Aan suitable manner as -by clamps 43. Vertica y slidable in each sleeve'42 is aA spind'1e44 on the lower end of which-is a head 45 secured to which are a series of resilient fingersA 47 curving vertically and y'spring' fingers 47 and their appurtenances in the illustrated example and with their complement of cutters they produce the necessary number of longitudinal slits a in the skin of the fruit A. The fingers 47 are i shown as held at their upper ends within a clamp band 54 and they may be 4secured -by screws or other suitable fasteners as at Figs. l1 and 4', eiztendingabout the-head 36 at the exterior.

The belt 40 travels ,at the same speed as the belt 20 and the positions of the slitting devices 41 on Vsaid belt 'relatively to one another and relatively to. the

holders. 28 on the belt 20 are such that as the holders with the fruit thereon are carried past the slitting device, the spindles 44 will register vertically with'the tomatoes A, so that when the roller .58 of a spindle reaches the depression of the cam groove, the spindle will be forced downwardly toward the `fruit A and the rollers 48v car-- ried by theiingers 47 will be grouped about the topof the tomato so that with, the descent of the spindle 44 the knives 51 will produce 4slits a in the skinof the tomato erally outward from the rollers 48 and atthe curved side surface of the tomato, there? by-resisting a tendency of the fingers 47 to flexradially inward and causing themto move outwardly and downwardly, over the surface of -the tomato. As the spindle 44 rises bythe action of the camslot on the roller 58 following a downward slitting movement, the presser plate 57 will prevent the tomato from being detached from the holder 28 by the upward movement of the spring lingers. In addition to the inherent resiliency of the fingers 47, a reinforcing spring 58 may be em loyed with each iinger bearing against t e same at the back.

After the slitting of the fruit, the latter iscarried past the device D for cutting the skin circularly adjacent to the bottom of the tomato. In the illustrated form the de vice D includes a bar 59 disposed at one side of the slot 29 parallel with the latter. Said bar (see Figs. 4 and 5) is provided with teeth or spurs 60 projecting from the inner face thereof transverse to the path ofmovement of the fruit. The bar 59 is of its ends as by fianges or feet 61 thereon secured to. the table. In .addition to its inherent resiliency, thev bar may be reinforced by a compression sprin 62, pressing at one end against the 4back o? oppositeend against any Xed element 63. In passing over the lface of thebar 59 the fruit is caused to turn by a turning of the holder 28 about its own a'Xis for which purpose each holder has a pinion 64 with fine teeth thereon which meshes vwith a rack 65 beneath the table 30 andv adjacent to the bar 59. The resultis that the fruit is scored Y thin resilient material suitably supported at said bar and atlthe or cut annularly as at a as indicated in being shown a pulley 68 on said shaft which l is driven as hereinafter explained. The cutter 66 is adapted to remove the top of the tomato with a minimum of .meat Assocciated with the cutter 66 and in advance of the same is a yielding presser guide 69 suspended by hangers 70 or the like on the top bar 7l and hinged at one end vas at 72 to any fixed support as for example to the, fixed bearing 73 in which the lower end of .the shaft 67 turns;

j Between the side bars of the presser guide 69 transverse rollers 74 are provided to effect a rolling contact -`'with the fruit passing therebeneath.- The vpresser guide as a whole presents a convex under side to accommodate itself to fruit of different sizes. At the upper sideV of the cutter 66 is a fixed lateral arm 75 to deiect the cut top from' the cutter toward aside of the machine, the cut tops being disposed of in any suitable mannen The fruit is now subjected to the scalding device F andthen directly to the action of the cooler G. The devices F and G correspond with the'-.washing device B, F ig. 3,

there being hot water jet pipes and cold water. jet pipes disposed similarly to the p ipesV 33 with respect to the path of travel ofthe fruit. A pan. or chute 76 receives the water from the scalding and cooling' devices F, G and directs the water to a side of the machine to be disposed of in any suitable manner.

I will now describe the peeling device properor device for removing the skins from the fruit after it has passed the cooler G. Said device, illustrated. in detail in Figs. 12 to 16, includesV an endless chain 77 having lateral yielding arms 78 thereon,

l preferably hinged to the chain as at 7 9 and travels in an opposite direction. The belt 873 consists of longitudinal resilient stripsvdisposed about a pneumatic tube 84 and those trips 83a on 'the outer face of the belt and tube are provided with teeth or spurs 85.. The belt 83 .runs aboutjppulleys 86, 87 certain of which, particularly those for guiding the working run ofthe belt adjacent tothe belt 77, are concave. Thus,

as the belt travels oppositeV to the travel` fruit.

the peeling belt 83, I provide preferably" i turning in a bearing 92 ena member of the of the fruit A and the holding cups 81 teeth 85 stripy the skin sections from the In order to remove the skins-from a suction device which may consist of a flared tube or suction head 88 extending laterally from. a fan casing conventionally shown at 89, the front end of said suction head lying adjacent to the path of the return run of the belt'as best seen inV |Figs. 12 'and 16. Interposed between the suction Vhead 88 and the belt 83 is a revolvinU screen disk 90 mounted to turn in any suitable manner as by securing. the same to a spindle 491 frame 26 or equivalent support, said spindle having a suitable drive means, as for eX- ample, a pulley 93, to be driven las here- .inafter explained. The fruit while subjecte'd to the action ofthe peeler belt 83 vis caused to turn by a turning of the holders 28 about their own axes for which purpose the pinions 64 are adapted to mesh with a fixed rack 94, Fig. 13, in line withthe rack andthe path of travel of said .pinions 64. The skins drawn from the spurs 85v onto the screen 90 are brushed from -the latter by a revolving brush 95 turning in a` hanger bracket 96 or the likeatthe under side of the table 30.

The traveling holders 28 after. having carried the fruit through the peeling mechanism, I, detach themselves from the fruit,

leaving the latter deposited on. the table 30. It will be` observed from Fig. 2 that the' belt 77 with the cup 81 extends along the, table beyond the belt 83 and past the corer J so that the fruit freed from the holders is positively 'carried past said corer. One practical form of corer is shown in detail in Fig. 11 and consists of' revolving cutters 97 which are angularly disposed and extend at theiradjacent edges through the slot 29 of the table above the latter to cut a V shapedv core part from the meat of the tomato together with the skin below the annular scoring or c'ut mark produced'by the deviceD.-

The. cutters 97 are shown mounted on spindles 98 having bevel pinions l99 meshin with gear wheels 100 on a transverse sha t 101 turning in brackets 26'a secured to the frame 26 beneath the table 30 and having a Adrive means such as a pulley 102. In order to make provision for causing the cut-ters' 97 to cut any desired depth, an suitable adjusting means may be' provide Merely a's an example of such means, I haveindi.- cated slots 26b in the brackets receiving bolts 260, (Fig. 1) to vertically adjust. thefcom# plete coring means.

125 The illustrated4 drive means is a follows: 4

A belt 103 runs over the pulley 102- of the v corer J and over a pulley 104 on a drive.;r

shaft 24 for driving thecorer. .A second belt 105 runs over a Second Pulley on shaft 13o i' i A of cutter y66.

driving the belt 40 of the slitting device C,

24 and over a pulley 106 on a counter-shaft 106a rigid with which pulley 106 is a bevel pinion 107 meshing with a bevel pinion 108 on a longitudinal shaft 109. A belt 110 -runs over a pulley on the shaft 109 at 111 and over a pulley on the shaft 112 of the screen brush 95 for turning said brush. On the shaft 109 also is a bevel pinion 113 meshing with a similar pinion 114. on a vertical sha-ft 115 on which the drive pulley 87 of the peeler belt 83 is secured. On the shaft 115 also is a pinion 117 over which a transverse belt 116 travels, said belt traveling also over a pulley or sprocket 119 on 'a vertical counter-shaft 118'about winch the belt 77 runs, said belt running also at its opposite end over a second sprocket 1191. To turn the topping cutter 66 a bevel pinion 120 on the shaft 109 meshes with a similar pinion 121 on a vertical shaft 122 on n which is a pulley 123' over which a belt 124 runs and to the pulley 68 on the spindle 67 To drive the shaft 38 for' a pinion 125 on the shaft 109 meshes with a similar pinion 126 on a vertical shaft 127 and a belt 128 runs over pulleys on said shafts 127 and 38 to drive the former. The shaft 37 lturns freely in a step bearing 129.

In the operation of the machine the various steps are automatic following the impaling of the tomatoes A on the holders 28 at the feed end of the machine, that is to say, at the left of Fig. 1, the fruit then passing through the washer B to be sllitted at C by the vertical movement of the spindle 44 and ,springv lingers 47 carrying the cut` ters 51 which slit the skin on approximately meridian lines. The fruitatravels past the bar 59 and simultaneously 1s caused to turn about 'its axis "by the turning of the holders 28 due to the engagement of the pinion 64 thereon with the fixed rack and whereby the skin is ruptured, on an annular line a adjacent to the bottom. 'The finit .then

passes beneath the curved presser guide 69 l and to the revolving topping cutter 66, after which the fruit is carried past the scalding Jets issuing from F and then immediately past the cooling-'jets issuing from G. Next, the fruit is subjected to the'action of the peeler belt 83 which travels at its working run in the opposite direction to the path of travel of the fruit, the cups 81 serving to yieldingly press the fruit.v against the rei verse rubbing action of the teeth 85 on said belt 83. The holders 28 detach themselves from the fruit when said holders turn about the sprocket 22 and the freed fruit is carried by the still advancing cups 81 along the table 30 to and past the coring cutters 97 which cut and core the fruit on the annular line a previously -produced by the teeth of the bar 59.

Important advantages of my improved ,low the said sections.

top-ping of the tomato on a line adjacent 'myself strictly to the mechanical -fdetails herein illustrated, since manifestlythe same can be-considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,` I

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a method of eeling or vegetables as characterize the steps of slitting the unscalded vegetable or fruit skinfdeep, on lines running from points near the top `to points near the bottom, removing the top on ajline approximately adjacent to the upper terminals of .the slits, rupturing the skin on a transverse line adjacent to the lower ends of the slits, scalding the article thus slitted and then removing the skin in sections between the slits.

2. In a method of peeling fru1ts or vegetables as characterized, the steps ofslittlng the unscalded fruit or vegetable skin-deep, on lines running from points nearpthe top to points near the bottom, removlng the top on a line approximately adjacent to the upper terminals lof the'sllts, rupturing the skin von a transverse line ad]acent tothe or vegetable, then removing the sections of the skin between the slits, and nally cutting oii' the portions of said fruit or vegetable be- 3. In an apparatus for peeling tomatoes, employing .a traveling conveyer for the tomatoes, means to produce cuts skin-deep, in the tomatoes, said means including a series of traveling cutters, and 'means to give movement to the cutters transverse to the direction oftravel of the tomatoes.

4. In a machine for peeling tomatoes, a

' conveyer, holders thereon adapted to receive indivldual tomatoes, an endless series of cutters adapted to travel with the conveyer andcorresponding in their relative positions with the relative positions of the holders,

and means to move the cutters axially while traveling to thereby produce cuts in the skins of the tomatoes to divide the skins into separate areas. f l v 5. In an apparatus for peeling tomatoes, a conveyer for the tomatoes, holders on the conveyer for receiving individual tomatoes, and means to produce cuts in the skins of the tomatoes, said cutting means including a grou :'of members adapted to be laterally expan ed in moving over the surface of a tomato, cutters carried by said arms, and

means to impart reciprocating movement to said members while engaging the tomato.

6. In an apparatus for peeling tomatoes, a conveyer for the tomatoes, holders on the conveyer for receiving individual tomatoes, and means to produce cuts in the `skins of the tomatoes, said cutting meansA including a head adapted to be reciprocated vertically, resilient members carried by said head in group form tobe disposed about a tomato, cutters on said members to produce cuts skindeep, in the tomato as the head is reciprocated,"and a yielding presser provided within said group of elements, .adapted to bear against the top of the tomato and to permit o a continued l.movement of the sald elements and their cutters relatively to said presser device.

7. In an apparatus for peelin tomatoes, a conveyer for the tomatoes, hol ers on the conveyer for"A receiving individual tomatoes, and means to produce .cuts in the skins of the tomatoes, said cutting means including a group of resilient elements adapted to be aterally expanded inmoving over the sur-- -face of a tomato,zcutters` on said elements,

and pilot devices on said elements outside of the cutters,` to cause an outward movement o the said elements over surface of n the tomato.

8. In an apparatus for peelingltomatoes, aconveyer for the tomatoes, hol' p conveyer for individual tomatoes and ,means to proI cuts skin-deep, in the tomatoes to divi he skin into areas, said cutting inea `including an endless belt having the working run adjacent to and traveling in the same direction with the conveyer, a series of Vspindles adapted to. reciprocate axially relatively to the said belt, relatively xed means to move said spindles axially as the spindles are carriedalong with the'conveyer'lsbelt, and cutters on said spindles adapted todcut the tomato skin-deep by the axial movement of the spindles.

9. In a machine for peeling tomatoes, a

`conveyer for tomatoes', means on the fpath of device.

skin-deep in the tomatoes, and means to rup ture the skins of the tomatoes on aline extending about the latter adjacent to the lower ends of the cuts, said last-mentioned means including a relatively fixed device adjacent to the path ofI movement of the tomatoes. 10. In a machine for peeling tomatoes, a conveyer for tomatoes, means on the path of movement of the conveyer` to produce cuts skin-deep in the tomatoes, and means to rupture the skins -of the tomatoes on a line extendin about the latter adjacent to the lower ens of the cuts, said last-mentioned means including a relatively fixed device adjacent to the path ofimovement of the tomatoes, said device being yieldable laterally of the path of movement of the tomatoes.

11.- In a machine for peeling tomatoes, a conveyer for'tomatoes, means on the path of movement of the conveyer to producev cuts skin-deep in the tomatoes, and means to rupture the skins of the tomatoes .on a line extending about the latter adjacent to Vthe lower ends of the cuts, said last-mentioned means including a relatively fixed device adjacent to theI path of movement of the tomatoes; together wit-h means to cause the tomatoes to turn about their axes on the conveyer while engaged by said relatively fixed 12. .In a tomato peeling machine, a topping device comprising a cutter, a presser guide leading to the cutter,l adapted 4to accommodateptomatoes of different sizes, and

meansto carry tomatoes 'beneath said presserA guide and past said cutter.

13. Ina tomato peeling 'macbine, a topping device comprising a cutter,.a presser guide leading to the cutter, adapted to accommodate tomatoes of dierent sizes, and

ymeans t0 carry tomatoes beneath said presser ide and past said cutter, said guide curving. vertically and having a series of transverse rollers to engage the tomatoes.

14:. In a tomato peeling machine, a ing mechanism, and a conveyer to de iver scalded tomatoes to saidmechanism, 4said .mechanism including a pneumatic belt having the working run traveling adjacent lto.

the path of travel of theconfveyer and havv g a relativev movement to exert a rubbing action on the tomatoes.

15. Ina tomato .peeling machine, a peeling mechanism, and means to give traveling movement to `the tomatoes through said eeling mechanism, said mechanism includingv traveling holdersfor the individual tomatoes and yieldable to pressure opposingthe direction of travell of said holders, and

a peeling belt traveling "adj acent to the path of movement of the tomatoes and in the op-y posite direction.

16. 'a tomato peeling machine, an endvless pneumatic belt'hav'ing' scraper elements thereon, and'means to convey' scalded tomatoes past said belt and in the opposite direction.

17.' In a tomato` peeling machine, an endless pneumatic belt having scraper elements thereon, and means to convey scalded t0- matoes past said belt `and in the opposite direction; together .with concave pulleys over which the Working face of said pneumatie 'belt travels.

i 18. In a machine of the class described, peeling means, and means to convey past said peeling means the article to be peeled, said peeling fmeans" including an endless pneumatic belt and resilient metal strips eX- tending about said belt, and having scraper elements thereon to effect they peeling.

19. In a tomato peeling machine, an endless conveyer belt having 'holders thereon adapted to receive individual tomatoes, an endless -series of yieldable elements mounted to travel with the said conveyer and adapted to engage the tomatoes on the holders, means to peel the tomatoes While engaged by said elements, a table through which the holders project, the holders being adapted to free Lthemselves from the tomatoes to deposit the latter on the table, said series of yieldable elements having a travel beyond the conveyer to advance the tomatoes after being freed from theholders, and a coring device to which the freed tomatoes are delivered by said elements.

' ,CHARLES KIRINO.` 

